Live Correspondent: One more coronavirus (Covid-19) patient died in the past 24 hours raising the death toll to six in the country, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said today.

“One more Covid-19 patient died in the country over the last 24 hours, while the number of coronavirus cases has stood at 54 as three more people have been infected by the lethal virus,” he told a virtual media briefing at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) here by joining it online.

Dr Md Habibur Rahman, director (management information system) of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), among others, addressed the press briefing.

The health minister said after confirmation of the novel coronavirus cases in the country, the number of recovered patients has stood at 26.

Referring to global Covid-19 situation, Maleque said over 42,000 have died so far from the Covid-19 outbreak, and there are currently nearly 8.5 lakh confirmed cases in 201 countries and territories.

“After detection of coronavirus cases first in China, we’ve taken necessary preparations since the first week of January this year to contain the disease in the country,” he added.

The minister elaborated various government initiatives to stem the outbreak of the deadly virus in Bangladesh. The measures, he said, include quarantine arrangements, treatment protocol, providing training for medical professionals and health technologists.

Maleque urged the medical professionals to provide healthcare facilities to the people by staying at their respective workplaces during such a critical time of the country.

The minister mentioned that Bangladesh has a sufficient stock of kits to carry out tests of Covid-19. At present, there is a total of 500 ventilators at the government hospitals, while the number of ventilators at private
hospitals is 700, he added.

“We’re expanding testing laboratory facilities to divisional level… we hope that we’ll be able to carry out sample tests of Covid-19 there within few days for quick conformation of the deadly virus ,” he said.

As part of the precautionary measures, he reiterated her call to the people to follow “social distancing” alongside maintaining individual hygienic habits to halt the spread of the Covid-19.

Maleque also advised the people to strictly follow the directives, particularly to ‘stay at home’, given by the government and others to stop the spread of the disease.

Dr Habibur urged the people to contact hotline numbers of IEDCR and the Ministry of Health alongside visiting health web portal to receive Covid-19- related treatment facilities.

He said the government has formed a group of medical professionals
comprising 10,812 physicians to provide medicare services to the people.

“They’re voluntarily providing treatment to the people … the number of such medical professionals is increasing every day” he added. Dr Rahman pointed out that the country has sufficient logistic equipment, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and kits.

He urged to call only the two numbers – 01944333222 and 10655 – which will connect to the other toll-free numbers.

“We have to avoid going outside, most importantly wherever there is a
possibility of coming in contact with unknown people,” he further said.

Dr Habibur said the people can get their required Covid-19-related information through e-mail iedcrcovid-19@gmail.com and facebook account- Iedcr.

Dhaka April 01 (campuslive24.com)//az